Shazia Shah
Jaipur, Feb 1-Kashmir Pen
Veteran theatre and film personality MK Raina walked out of his session at the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival on Friday after making an emotional statement on the cinematic representation of Kashmir.
Raina, who hails from Kashmir, expressed his disappointment over how the Valley is portrayed in Indian cinema. “I’m sorry, I see bad films about Kashmir, accusing Kashmir of all kinds of things—lousy films. Kashmir is not being represented at all because they don’t know the state,” he asserted.
A short while later, as noted theatre artist Ila Arun was performing a scene from her play Peer Ghani, Raina abruptly left the session, causing a stir among the audience. His unexpected exit left many attendees puzzled, sparking speculation about what had transpired.
The incident has drawn attention to the ongoing debate over Kashmir’s portrayal in Indian cinema, highlighting concerns about misrepresentation and lack of authentic narratives from the region.
